Google confirms plans to launch its own wireless service

Google is going to be a wireless provider just like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

Well, maybe not just like those big companies.

At industry trade show, Mobile World Congress, Sundar Pichai said Google will do its own wireless service at a "small scale" to "show what's possible."

Google is going to be a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). An MVNO buys wireless spectrum from someone else, like AT&T, and then rebrands/repackages the service for users.

Pichai is framing Google's wireless plan as an experiment along the lines of what Google did with the Nexus phones. It wants to show bigger wireless carriers what's possible.

So, initially, this isn't going to be a big product. But, if it works, we could see Google expanding it over time.

Here are tweets from Amir Efrati, a reporter at The Information, who live tweeted Pichai talking about Google's MVNO:

1/ !! @Google's @sundarpichai at #MWC just confirmed our exclusive report on becoming an MVNO/wireless provider. https://t.co/agi6HkRJYm

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015

2/ Google doing MVNO at "small scale" to "show what's possible," get other carriers to adopt Google features. Like Nexus devices on hardware

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015

3/ @sundarpichai gives example of a feature - when call drops, Google MVNO system automatically brings call back.

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015

4/ Google MVNO launching "in the coming months."

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015

4/ Google MVNO launching "in the coming months."

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015

6/ Sundar Pichai confirms much of the details of our report, including that the service will be an experiment of sorts. But...

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015

7/ But carriers should note: Google VP Milo Medin seriously studied wireless spectrum bid last yr. And Goog could still partner with @Dish.

- Amir Efrati (@amir) March 2, 2015